Activists have alleged that the Greater Chennai Corporation’s (GCC) tender for the construction of a pathway for persons with disabilities at Marina beach remained incomplete. Activists demand long-term maintenance planning, lifecycle budgeting, and dedicated staffing for the facility.

Disability rights activist TNM Deepak said they had started voicing the issues about the pathway on social media. Disability Rights Alliance (DRA) member Vaishnavi Jayakumar said: “While we welcome the post-monsoon rebuilding of the Marina beach access boardwalk, it is crucial that we build back better — and together. In July, Team DRA had requested a forensic analysis of the dismantled pathway’s materials and an expert-led inspection of the Besant Nagar boardwalk. Neither has happened so far.”

“The current tender is incomplete — it omits essential specifications and detailed drawings for decks, wood seasoning, joinery, and signage. Critically, it also fails to require a seven-year maintenance contract by the same contractor to ensure the quality is not affected during construction,” she said. 

“Without long-term maintenance planning, lifecycle budgeting, and dedicated staffing, Chennai’s disabled community risks losing beach access all over again — a vulnerability already evident at the Besant Nagar boardwalk, which suffers from neglected routine repairs and a lack of staff. Constructing the pathway is only half the battle; ensuring it lasts is what truly provides equal access,” said Vaishnavi Jayakumar, Disability Rights Alliance.

Activist Gnana Bharathi said: “GCC officials do everything on their own. They never hesitate to spend money for the redesign or reconstruction. Always saying money is not the problem for reconstruction. They justified the way the wooden planks were bound using thin nails and a little adhesive. But when these things break, they are ready to spend money to reconstruct it.”

GCC Commissioner G.S. Sameeran said: “The pathway for persons with disabilities at Marina beach was damaged during the 2023 monsoon and was repaired multiple times. A part of it was also damaged during the air show held in 2024. The present design and structure are finalised in collaboration with DRA and other stakeholders.”

Tension prevailed at Periya Agraharam here on Monday (September 21) after persons with disabilities and locals opposed each other over the proposed use of a community hall as an Integrated Service Centre.

A community hall had earlier functioned at Pananguttai on Bhavani Main Road. The building was subsequently renovated, and an Integrated Service Centre for persons with disabilities was established there. However, the centre is yet to be made functional.

Seeking its immediate opening, a group of persons with disabilities staged a sit-in at the building on Monday morning. They demanded that the centre be opened and services provided to beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, residents of the locality gathered at the spot opposing the establishment of the service centre. They said the building was required as a community hall for the benefit of local residents.

As both groups gathered, police personnel were deployed. Barricades were also erected around the building to prevent anyone from entering it.

The police held talks with both groups. The persons with disabilities were promised that an Integrated Service Centre would be established at another location and that necessary assistance would be provided there. They subsequently withdrew their protest.

The residents were promised that steps would be taken to convert the building back into a community hall and make it available for their use. They, too, dispersed following the assurance. The incident disrupted traffic for sometime.